Philippians 1:21

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

What a testimony, what an inspiration! The apostle Paul may have been thinking of Jesus’ words, The Son of Man came… to minister and to give His life a ransom for many. In a way, a pioneer missionary gives his life as a ransom for the people to whom he is sent. His ambition is to bring the good news so that people, yet in darkness, can experience God’s salvation. What is your ambition? What is the surpassing goal of your life? Is it the same as Christ’s, or are you focused on lesser things?

Pray that Jesus will give us a new vision of Himself in all His beauty and holiness. Pray that He will fill us with a passion for His glory in all the earth.

Mainland Chinese People in Cambodia

by CN

“We’re off!” Baojia said to his friend in his native Mandarin, as their plane lifted off from Phnom Penh’s runway. “We will soon be back in China to celebrate the [Chinese] New Year with our families!”
Baojia is one of perhaps 30,000 Mainland Chinese expatriates living in Cambodia. With China’s doors opening wider to the outside world, more Chinese mainlanders cross borders seeking higher salaries and better living conditions wherever they can find it. They don’t come as immigrants, however. Those who go to Cambodia usually stay only a couple of years. Most come as businessmen, garment factory workers, or Chinese language teachers.

More modern thinking and technologically adept than other ethnic Chinese people groups in Cambodia, these expatriates see themselves as higher class than their countrymen. Lacking close relationships with other Chinese groups or Khmers, Mainland Chinese keep to themselves. Much of their free time is spent at health clubs, coffee shops, bars, and shopping malls. Some practice ancestor worship, demon veneration, and Buddhism. But the “modern god” of most is success and wealth. Materialism and atheism dominate their worldview. Being apart from family and friends, however, allows them to be more open to new ideas about faith and religion, making them potentially more receptive to the gospel.

Pray that Chinese believers will connect with this people group effectively, and that they will see Jesus as a true friend and find their true wealth in Him. Pray that a church-planting movement will be sparked among this important people group.